BUSINESS RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY
By Dr. Sandhya Sreekumar
Introduction
• What is research? Finding solution to a problem after a thorough study of the
situational factors
• Managers are involved in research (How?)
• Business Research- systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem
encountered in work area
Research and Manager (Problems in Mgt.)
• Employee attitudes and behaviour
• HRM
• Productions and operations mgt.
• Information systems
Objectives of Research
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it (studies with
this object in view are termed as exploratory or formulative research studies);
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
(studies with this object in view are known as descriptive research studies);
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else (studies with this object in view are known as
diagnostic research studies)
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such studies are known
as hypothesis-testing research studies).
Types of Research
 Descriptive vs. Analytical- Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding
enquiries
• researcher has no control over the variables- he can only report what has happened or
what is happening
• attempts by researchers to discover causes
• analytical research- researcher has to use facts or information already available, and
analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material
 Applied vs. Fundamental
• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society
or an industrial/business organisation
• fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with the
formulation of a theory
• Research concerning some natural phenomenon, concerning human behaviour are
examples of fundamental research
• research aimed at certain conclusions or solution- applied research
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• Qualitative research is specially important in the behavioural sciences
 Conceptual vs. Empirical:
• Conceptual research used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to
reinterpret existing ones
• empirical research relies on experience or observation alone
• data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified
by observation or experiment
• working hypothesis- gets facts to prove it correct or wrong

Types of research used for business?

Different kinds of sampling
• Deliberate/ non-probability/ convenience sampling
• Simple random sampling- chance sampling or probability sampling where each and
every item in the population has an equal chance of inclusion in the sample
• Systematic sampling- every 10th or 15th
• Stratified sampling- does not constitute a homogeneous group, then stratified sampling
technique is applied so as to obtain a representative sample- sample selected from
different sub-population
• Quota sampling- interviewers are simply given quota to be filled from different strata,
the actual selection of items for sample being left to the interviewer’s judgement. size
of the quota for each stratum is generally proportionate to the size of that stratum in the
population
• Cluster sampling and area sampling
• Multi-stage sampling

 Collecting the data

• By observation
• Through personal interview
• Through telephone interviews- for industrial surveys in developed regions
• By mailing of questionnaires
• Through schedules- enumerators are appointed and given training e.g. census

 Analysis of data- coding

Problems Encountered by Researchers in India
• lack of a scientific training
• insufficient interaction between the university research departments
• Business men reluctant in supplying the needed information to researchers
• difficulty of timely availability of published data from various government and other
agencies